Selene instantly grasped the principal's real intention. Her participation in this so-called test was nothing more than a publicity stunt—the true goal was to use her overwhelming power to attract exceptional new students.
"Uh... fine then. I'll just improvise," she said flatly.
"Yes, yes, go ahead," the principal replied, smiling kindly.
Under his gentle gaze, Selene teleported back to the center of the platform. Once the staff had taken their positions, the auxiliary ability test began.
In an instant, a vast circular portal—black with a glowing violet rim—appeared at the platform's center. Its sheer size was enough to block part of the sunlight.
"Auxiliary ability record: single portal maximum diameter—approximately 412 meters; maximum linear transfer distance—7,986 meters; maximum number of simultaneous portals—518; limited by volume, but unrestricted by mass or quantity. Overall evaluation: Level 5."
Even without the broadcast announcement, the visual alone said everything. Everyone present now understood why Selene was ranked first. Just the auxiliary aspect of her power—portals unrestricted by weight or quantity—was enough to qualify as a Level 5 ability.
For the other spatial espers still struggling with mass and volume limits, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Next came the moment everyone had been waiting for—the offensive demonstration.
For this segment, Tokiwadai had invited several spatial espers from other schools to assist in demonstrating Selene's superior ability: Spatial Lockdown.
According to the commentator's explanation, Spatial Lockdown was a highly complex ability that could nullify the spatial powers of others within a defined area—while leaving Selene's own completely unaffected.
When Selene activated the ability, all the other espers found their spatial powers instantly sealed, unable to teleport or manipulate space in any way.
After demonstrating the lockdown, Selene lifted the restriction, allowing the others to attempt teleporting small objects. Mid-transfer, she intercepted the items directly—attacking them inside the spatial channel.
The audience erupted in murmurs.
"This ability is totally broken!"
"More than that—it's the absolute apex of spatial control!"
"Anyone who uses spatial abilities against her might as well give up—it's a perfect counter!"
...
After finishing the demonstrations of Spatial Lockdown and Spatial Severance, the assisting espers exited the platform.
Now it was time for Selene's free performance.
"All personnel, please temporarily clear the testing platform. Repeating: all personnel—"
As the broadcast echoed, the staff began evacuating the area.
"Huh? Why are they leaving? Is it over?" some students in the stands asked in confusion.
Clang, clang—
Before anyone could answer, the sound of shifting metal filled the air. The defensive walls in front of the audience began to rise slowly.
"Students, please remain calm. Due to Habsburg Selene's extraordinary destructive capabilities, this is a necessary safety measure. There is no need for alarm," the principal's voice reassured through the speakers.
No one objected. Though the barriers slightly obstructed their view, it was a small price to pay for safety—especially when it came to Selene's infamous destructive power. Urban legends about her feats were not exactly in short supply.
Snap!
With a graceful snap of her fingers, the violet glow beneath Selene's feet expanded outward. Within moments, the entire thousand-square-meter platform began to shift like a massive puzzle coming to life.
She lifted her finger slightly, and the platform's components rose into the air, merging seamlessly under the influence of imaginary energy until they formed a massive, hovering cube.
Selene clenched her right hand gently, and the cube began to transform—spinning at high speed, morphing continuously into complex, irregular shapes as if an invisible hand were molding it from nothing.
Then, two prism-shaped structures composed of condensed imaginary energy burst from the void, crossing paths as they struck the cube with a thunderous boom!.
At the same time, Selene reached back with her right hand as if drawing a bow. Three glowing geometric frames formed from crystalline Honkai energy appeared in succession—each smaller and narrower the closer they were to her body. The second-to-last was a twisted spiral made of dual prisms, while the foremost one took the form of a perfect polyhedron.
She released her grip, firing the leading prism forward.
Like a stone dropped into calm water, the prism-shaped projectile tore through the air at supersonic speed, leaving a thunderous sonic boom in its wake.
Clang!
The prism pierced clean through the massive floating cube, continuing its flight skyward without slowing. Friction from the impact heated the cube to a molten red glow—it shone brighter and brighter, radiating violent energy fluctuations.
Then, before the stunned eyes of the crowd, the entire structure began to swell.
BOOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air, sending a scorching shockwave outward. The blinding flash forced everyone to shield their eyes as a roaring blast wave struck the ground. Thick smoke rose like a storm of dust, fire bursting outward in waves of crimson brilliance.
The tremendous detonation left many with ringing ears as the ground trembled violently beneath them. The reinforced barriers around the stands began to groan under the pressure, cracking audibly as if about to collapse.
Moments later, shattered fragments of metal and concrete rained down like meteors, scattering in all directions—mercilessly pelting the panicking spectators below.
Screams erupted from the stands as terrified students scrambled to escape.
Through the cracks in the barriers, the glare of violet-white light surged forward, unstoppable, like a tidal wave.
"It's too late!"
"The blast radius—how is it this big?!"
"We're going to die!"
...
When the roaring and the blinding light finally faded, the survivors opened their eyes—and saw a vast blue hexagonal barrier encasing the stands.
"I-I'm still alive?"
"Holy crap, I thought we were done for!"
"Phew..."
Collapsed and trembling, the crowd let out collective sighs of relief and shaky laughter.
As the barrier dissolved, the devastation around them became visible once more.
The once-pristine testing grounds were now a barren wasteland. Fires still flickered here and there amid the ruins.
At the center stood Selene—completely unharmed—quietly retracting the remaining fragments of her barrier. Everyone quickly realized that it was she who had protected them from the aftermath of her own attack.
In that instant, the audience truly understood what the saying meant: when gods clash, mortals suffer.
Yet, to Selene's mild disbelief, the test was not called off.
Originally, the Tokiwadai faculty had intended to end the event then and there—the "muscle show" had already achieved its goal. But for reasons beyond comprehension, the students—having nearly lost their lives moments ago—were now cheering even louder, begging her to continue the "performance."
Seeing the enthusiasm surge higher, the school administrators decided to go along with it, announcing that the evaluation would proceed—though Selene was explicitly forbidden from using such large-scale attacks again.
Selene, amused but compliant, continued with a series of smaller demonstrations.
She showcased precise Subspace Lance strikes, Spatial Phasing and Invisibility, Void Explosions, Imaginary Hand, and Honkai Energy Conversions that transformed into fire, lightning, light, and ice-based attacks.
By the end, everyone was satisfied—Selene had indulged her vanity, Tokiwadai had achieved its publicity stunt, the students had their spectacle, and the Academy City higher-ups obtained all the data they wanted.
The side effect? Selene had become a sensation.
Her fame now eclipsed that of every other Level 5. Whether it was her unforgettable beauty or her terrifying power, she had earned herself an entire legion of admirers.
Of course, at that moment, Selene herself remained blissfully unaware.